special effects question

Okay videolibbers - this isn't actually a video title distribution
question; it's more of a "how they did it" film 101 class question. I'm
wondering how the filmakers accomplished a particular special effect. The
effect first turned up in Gladiator, then I just recently saw it in The
Bourne Identity. They both occur in all the fight scenes - the frames
appear to be moving at slightly slower speed but the image clarity seems to
be more accute. While the film speed seems slower, it isn't slow motion,
but the visual sequence appears slightly segmented or broken, not a smooth
flow. Any idea of film speed - is this a digital effect? What is this
technique called? Thanks for the help.
Jim Scholtz.